Chapter 118 Chapter 118
Chapter 118
Celine’s eyes opened slowly, like someone returning from a place she couldn’t fully remember.
At first, everything felt out of reach. The ceiling above her looked strange, too white, too bright. The gentle sound of machines filled the space around her, constant and controlled, nothing like the noise she had heard before everything went blank.
Her head felt sluggish, her thoughts slow.
Then something warm brushed against her forehead.
Soft.
Gentle.
The sensation pulled her attention downward.
Her vision cleared just enough to make out a face close to hers.
Ethan.
Her eyes adjusted, focusing on him, and for a moment neither of them moved. He hadn’t even realized she was awake yet, his lips still lingering where he had just placed a quiet kiss on her forehead.
Her gaze met his.
“Mr. Castellan…” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
The sound of her voice froze him.
He pulled back immediately, his eyes locking onto hers as if he needed to be sure he wasn’t imagining it. There was a brief pause, the kind that comes when relief hits before words can follow.
“You’re awake,” he said, his voice lower than usual.
Celine blinked slowly, trying to gather herself. Her body felt weak, like it didn’t belong to her yet, but she pushed through it, her thoughts settling on the last thing she remembered.
The road.
The sound.
The impact.
Her brows drew together slightly as concern replaced confusion.
“The driver…” she asked, her voice still soft but clearer now. “Is he okay? And the security officer?”
Ethan stared at her for a second, caught off guard.
She had just woken up.
And that was her first question.
Not about herself.
Not about what happened to her.
But about them.
“They’re fine,” he replied after a moment, his tone steady, though something in his expression shifted. “The driver is conscious. Minor injuries. The security officer wasn’t hurt.”
Her shoulders relaxed just a little at that, and she nodded faintly, like that was enough for her.
“Good,” she murmured.
Only then did she shift slightly, adjusting herself against the hospital bed. The movement was slow, careful, her hand brushing lightly against the sheets as she tried to sit up. Ethan moved instantly, supporting her without thinking, his hand steady at her back as he helped her lean against the headboard.
“You shouldn’t strain,” he said quietly.
“I’m okay,” she replied, though her voice didn’t fully support the claim.
He didn’t argue. He just watched her, his eyes scanning her face like he was trying to memorize every detail, making sure she was really there, really awake, really fine.
“Mr. Castellan,” she called again, softer this time.
Something in the way she said his name made him pause.
There was no fear in her eyes. No hesitation. Just quiet curiosity… and something else he couldn’t ignore anymore.
This was the moment.
He felt it.
Not loud. Not dramatic.
Just certain.
He stepped closer, his hands lifting slowly until they rested gently on her cheeks. The contact made her still, her breath catching slightly as she looked up at him, confused by the sudden closeness, by the intensity in his eyes.
“Look at me,” he said, his voice low but firm.
She did.
She didn’t understand why, but she did.
Her eyes met his fully, searching his face for an explanation that wasn’t coming.
“I love you,” he said.
The words came out without hesitation.
No pause. No second thought.
“I love you so much,” he continued, his voice quieter now, but no less steady. “And I want you, Celine.”
The room seemed to fall into a different kind of silence after that.
Not empty.
Just still.
Celine didn’t move.
She didn’t speak.
For a moment, she just looked at him, her mind trying to catch up with what she had just heard. The man standing in front of her wasn’t joking. There was nothing uncertain in his expression. Nothing casual about the way he held her face like she was something he had almost lost.
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
Her heart reacted before her thoughts could.
She searched his eyes again, deeper this time, as if she might find doubt there.
She didn’t.
Before she could respond, a soft knock came from the door.
The sound broke whatever had formed between them.
Both of them pulled back almost at the same time.
Ariana stepped in, pushing the door open gently with her shoulder, a small bag in one hand and a container of food in the other.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she said lightly as she walked in.
Celine blinked, still trying to steady herself, while Ethan stepped back, adjusting his posture like nothing had happened.
“No,” Celine replied, managing a small smile. “You’re not.”
Ariana placed the items on the table beside the bed before turning fully to Celine, her expression softening immediately.
“You scared me,” she said, moving closer.
Celine smiled faintly. “I’m okay.”
Ariana didn’t say anything else before pulling her into a careful hug, mindful of her condition but needing the reassurance all the same. Celine hugged her back, though her eyes drifted briefly toward Ethan, who was watching them quietly.
There was something different about his expression now.
Less guarded.
More open.
But he didn’t say anything.
Ariana pulled away after a moment, looking her over. “You really are okay?”
“I am,” Celine replied. “Just a little headache.”
“That’s expected,” Ariana said, nodding. “The doctor explained everything. You’ll be fine.”
Celine relaxed a bit more at that.
Ethan remained where he was, his hands now tucked into his pockets, but his attention hadn’t left her for a second.
Ariana glanced at him briefly, then back at Celine before speaking again.
“I think someone here needs to go home,” she said, her tone shifting slightly.
Celine followed her gaze toward Ethan.
Ariana turned fully toward him this time. “Mr. Castellan, you’ve been here all night. And your clothes…” she added, gesturing lightly, “you might want to change.”
Ethan glanced down briefly, as if only just remembering the dried stains on his shirt.
“I’m fine,” he said.
“You’re not,” Ariana replied simply. “She’s awake now. She’s stable. I’ll stay with her. You should rest.”
“I can stay,” he insisted.
Ariana crossed her arms slightly, a hint of playfulness entering her tone. “And do what? Watch her breathe?”
Ethan looked at her, unimpressed.
Celine let out a small, tired laugh, the first real one since she woke up.
“It’s okay,” she said gently. “You can go.”
He looked at her then.
Really looked at her.
As if trying to decide whether leaving her was something he could actually do.
After a moment, he nodded once.
“I’ll come back,” he said.
“I know,” she replied.
There was something unspoken in that exchange, something Ariana noticed but didn’t comment on.
Ethan picked up his keys and turned toward the door, pausing briefly before leaving. His gaze lingered on Celine for just a second longer before he stepped out.
Once outside, the hallway felt quieter than before.
He didn’t stop walking until he reached the other ward.
The driver was awake, sitting up slightly with a bandage around his arm. The moment he saw Ethan, he tried to straighten properly.
“Sir—”
“Stay,” Ethan said, cutting him off.
He stepped closer, his expression calm but serious.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I’m fine, sir. I’m sorry, I didn’t—”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Ethan said.
The driver hesitated, then nodded.
Ethan stayed for a few more minutes, making sure everything was handled, before stepping out again.
At the billing desk, he took care of everything without hesitation.
Every charge.
Every treatment.
Every detail.
Once it was done, he stepped outside the hospital, the cool air hitting him as he finally paused.
For the first time since the accident, he allowed himself to slow down.
But his thoughts didn’t.
They went back to her.
To the way she looked at him.
To the silence after his confession.
He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.
Things had changed.
He knew it.
And this time, there was no stepping back from it.
Not anymore.